Jen's Review
by Amanda Hocking
August 7, 2012
St. Martin's Griffin (HC) // Tor (PB)
Having
heard nothing but fabulous things about Amanda Hocking, I decided to finally
pick up one of her novels on a whim. Fortunately, Wake was a superb choice; I
loved almost everything about this book! The characters were all unique and
special in some way, the plot was intriguing and mysterious, and the sirens
were done very well. I couldn't have asked for a better novel from Hocking!
I'm
not the biggest fan of 3rd-person character stories, but the way it was done in
Wake was necessary, and adequate. Since there were so many characters, it would
have gotten confusing if it was told in 1st-person. Speaking of characters,
every character was enjoyable in some way. Gemma, the main--MAIN--character in
the novel, was driven, and motivated. She was a strong character, but hid a lot
of things from her friends and family. Her sister, Harper was a whole different
story. Harper was very protective of Gemma, but it never annoyed me. I loved
how much she cared for Gemma. And then there are the love interests, Alex and
Daniel (NOT a love triangle. Alex is with Gemma, Daniel is with Harper). Thank
you Amanda Hocking for not writing cliché guys! Alex was totally geeky and
swoon-worthy at the same time, I loved him! Even though Daniel wasn't as big of
a character in Wake, he was probably one of my favorites, no doubt! His ability
to accept and empathize with Harper was so beautiful and sweet. All of the
characters in Wake were very well done.
Now,
the other characters, the sirens--Penn, Thea, and Lexi-- were awesome sirens. When readers first hear
"siren", they think "mermaid". Well, after reading Wake,
you won't be thinking "happy-go-lucky-pretty-mermaids" anymore. The
sirens in Wake were gruesome and disgusting, mean and manipulative. They
created a tense atmosphere and kept the story exciting!
Finally,
the plot that Hocking wrote up for the readers was thoroughly engaging and
intense! There was definitely a murder mystery going on, and while it was
predictable, there was some fabulous dramatic irony happening simultaneously.
There were plenty of twists and turns around each new chapter and it really
kept me wanting more. The storyline was simply excellent!
Overall,
I highly enjoyed Wake. Wake will entrance the reader just like the sirens do to
the mortals. Wake was captivating with it's outstanding case of characters,
well-done sirens, and exciting plotline. Wake will not disappoint!
Audiobook Review: The audio for this one
was really really great. I certainly recommend it! The narrator has a beautiful
voice, as well as a gorgeous singing voice,
too! Yes, the narrator sings for us! Highly recommended.
4.5 teacups for Wake!
Posts
The narrator can make or break the book to me, Jen. It seems like this one was really good. "Creatures of the sea" books don't usually call to me, but every time I pick one up I seem to really enjoy them. Wonderful review. :)
ReplyDeleteI might check this one out on audio, because I am not the biggest fan of mermaid/siren books, but I love listening to audiobooks. I am glad you enjoyed this one; I have also only seen positive reviews on this one. Awesome review :D
ReplyDeleteOh my! 4.5 stars! This must be really good. I've heard about this author a lot of times and it did seems that she writes great books. I'm not much into mermaid-themed books but if it was written really well I think I might give this one a try. Lovely review, Jen! :)
ReplyDeleteI've only read awesome things about Amanda Hocking as well Jen, but I haven't given her a try yet! Looks like it wouldn't be a bad thing to start with this book! I've read a couple books about sirens that haven't wowed me so I'm a little wary of that aspect, but since the characters in this one are so well done I think I'll be good to go! Lovely review:)
ReplyDeleteYou know what, I might give this a try on audio now. I'm not the biggest fan of audiobooks, but I've slowly been trying more. Really glad you liked this! I read a few of Amanda Hocking's books before she was published and enjoyed them quite a bit. Great review, Jen. :)
ReplyDeleteWow, it's really, really cool to see someone who loved this one. I tried really hard, because I loved SWITCHED, the first Trylle book, but this one and the sequel just rubbed me the wrong way. I ended up deciding not to finish this series, which grates at me, because I have a THING where I need to finish a series once I start it.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, glad you liked the characters, and thought the plot was good!
Jen, your reviews are always so beautiful! I don't know why I haven't read an Amanda Hocking book yet, I think there is something wrong with me. :P I am not usually a fan of 3 person narratives but since you say it is necessary for the plot, I'll accept it, hehe. I have never tried an audiobook before but I keep meaning too. A singing voice? Oooh!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the lovely review! :)
I haven't heard the best things about Amanda's books but I am always intrigued by a book that can get 3rd person done right! And I am also always on the look out for good audio book recs!
ReplyDeleteI have yet to read a mermaid book. I think I have this one too. I start wondering how and where they use the restroom and how they have sex and I get too distracted. I need a simple mermaid book to ease me into this world :)
ReplyDelete